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Piers Morgan will be on the wrong side of history with mental health criticism

11 May 2017

Piers Morgan has criticised Mental Health Foundation research in a tweet. Mark Rowland of the Mental Health Foundation responds:

If most Britons reported that in their lifetime, they had experienced a physical health problem, would we be so quick to question their integrity? Would our response be to tell them to ‘man up’?

Piers Morgan will be on the wrong side of history on this issue. We have tried the ‘man up’ mantra for generations, and we have ended up with suicide being the leading cause of death for men under the age of 45 in this country.

Our research is entirely consistent with previous mental health statistics for government, such as 1 in 4 people experiencing a mental health problem in any given year (or 1 in 6 in any given week). Our data shows that two out of three adults have experienced a mental health problem in their lifetime. Like physical health, mental health problems range in severity, and of course support should be concentrated where most needed, but common mental health problems like anxiety and panic attacks are real conditions that cause significant, life debilitating effects.

We believe that people can be trusted to know their own emotional and mental health. Too many people have suffered in silence for too long.

We stand by the fact that two out of every three adults in Britain, have faced a mental health problem in their lifetime. This could be the generation that finally acknowledges the need for change.